Tales and Novels, vol 10 | Page 4

no legal power
to resist, Mr. Collingwood at last gave way, so far as to agree that he
would in due time use this money in satisfying her uncle's creditors;
provided she lived for the next six months within her income.
Helen smiled, as if that were a needless proviso.
"I warn you," continued Mr. Collingwood, "that you will most probably
find before six months are over, that you will want some of this money
to pay debts of your own."
"No, no, no," cried she; "of that there is not the slightest chance."
"And now, my dear child," said Mrs. Collingwood, "now that Mr.
Collingwood has promised to do what you wish, will you do what we
wish? Will you promise to remain with us? to live here with us, for the
present at least; we will resign you whenever better friends may claim
you, but for the present will you try us?"
"Try!" in a transport of gratitude and affection she could only repeat the
words "Try! oh, my dear friends, how happy I am, an orphan, without a
relation, to have such a home."
But though Mr. and Mrs. Collingwood, childless as they were, felt real
happiness in having such a companion--such an adopted daughter, yet
they were sure that some of Dean Stanley's great friends and
acquaintance in high life would ask his niece to spend the spring in
town, or the summer in the country with them; and post after post came
letters of condolence to Miss Stanley from all these personages of high
degree, professing the greatest regard for their dear amiable friend's
memory, and for Miss Stanley, his and their dear Helen; and these
polite and kind expressions were probably sincere at the moment, but
none of these dear friends seemed to think of taking any trouble on her
account, or to be in the least disturbed by the idea of never seeing their
dear Helen again in the course of their lives.
Helen, quite touched by what was said of her uncle, thought only of

him; but when she showed the letters to Mr. and Mrs. Collingwood,
they marked the oversight, and looked significantly as they read, folded
the letters up and returned them to Helen in silence. Afterwards
between themselves, they indulged in certain comments.
"Lady C---- does not invite her, for she has too many daughters, and
they are too ugly, and Helen is too beautiful," said Mrs. Collingwood.
"Lady L---- has too many sons," said Mr. Collingwood, "and they are
too poor, and Helen is not an heiress now."
"But old Lady Margaret Dawe, who has neither sons nor daughters,
what stands in the way there? Oh! her delicate health--delicate health is
a blessing to some people--excuses them always from doing anything
for anybody."
Then came many, who hoped, in general, to see Miss Stanley as soon
as possible; and some who were "very anxious indeed" to have their
dear Helen with them; but when or where never specified--and a
general invitation, as every body knows, means nothing but "Good
morning to you."
Mrs. Coldstream ends with, "I forbear to say more at present," without
giving any reason.
"And here is the dean's dear duchess, always in the greatest haste, with
'You know my heart,' in a parenthesis, 'ever and ever most sincerely
and affec'--yours.'"
"And the Davenants," continued Mrs. Collingwood, "who were such
near neighbours, and who were so kind to the dean at Florence; they
have not even written!"
"But they are at Florence still," said Mr. Collingwood, "they can hardly
have heard of the poor dean's death."
The Davenants were the great people of this part of the country; their
place, Cecilhurst, was close to the deanery and to the vicarage, but they

were not known to the Collingwoods, who had come to Cecilhurst
during the dean's absence abroad.
"And here is Mrs. Wilmot too," continued Mrs. Collingwood,
"wondering as usual, at everybody else, wondering that Lady Barker
has not invited Miss Stanley to Castleport; and it never enters into Mrs.
Wilmot's head that she might invite her to Wilmot's fort. And this is
friendship, as the world goes!"
"And as it has been ever since the beginning of the world and will be to
the end," replied Mr. Collingwood. "Only I thought in Dean Stanley's
case--however, I am glad his niece does not see it as we do."
No--with all Helen's natural quickness of sensibility, she suspected
nothing, saw nothing in each excuse but what was perfectly reasonable
and kind; she was sure that her uncle's friends could not mean to
neglect her. In short, she had an undoubting belief in those she loved,
and she loved all those who she thought had loved her uncle, or who
had ever shown her kindness. Helen had never yet